Leadership

Our owners and management team are experienced professionals who lead with care and compassion.

compass resting on rock face in sunlight

Leadership

Our owners and management team are experienced professionals who lead with care and compassion.

Introduction

Meet Our Owners

headshot of Hal Baumchen

Hal Baumchen | PSYD, LP, LADC

President, Clinical Director, and Co-Occurring Disorders Specialist

Dr. Hal Baumchen is a psychologist, author, and speaker. He is the President and Clinical Director of NorthStar Regional. A Licensed Clinical Psychologist (LP) with over 30 years (30,000+ hours) of counseling experience, he was also the founder and executive director of Northland Counseling Services. He received his master’s Degree from Wheaton Graduate School and his Doctorate of Psychology (PsyD) from the Illinois School of Professional Psychology, and is a licensed alcohol and drug counselor (LADC) and received his certificate in Co-Occurring Disorders from Adler Graduate School. He is the author of Journeys, a co-occurring disorders resource manual, Destinations, a practical guide for overcoming addictions and improving your mental health, the Destinations Companion Workbook, and he coauthored Finding Hope Again: Overcoming Depression with Dr. Neil T. Anderson. He is the author and founder of Journey to Recovery, a resource site with materials for the treatment of co-occurring mental health and substance use disorders.
headshot of Jason Vanderscoff

Jason Vanderscoff | LADC

Chief Executive Officer

Jason is the CEO of NorthStar Regional and was formerly the CEO of Five Stars Recovery Center. He is a Licensed Alcohol and Drug Counselor (LADC). His responsibilities include overall strategy, program development, financial oversight and provider contracting. Jason has also served as the CEO of CD Recovery Services, DRS Acquisitions, and Cx Technology Services. He is a graduate of the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities.
headshot of Dr. Winegarden

Thomas Winegarden | MD

Owner

Dr. Thomas Winegarden is a Board Certified Adult and Addictions Psychiatrist. He received his degree from the University of Minnesota Medical School and has his own practice in Chanhassen, MN. Dr. Winegarden has served at Hazelden Treatment Center, Center City, MN since 1994 and serves as staff psychiatrist at Fairview Southdale Hospital. His clinical interests include bipolar, depression, anxiety disorders, attention deficit disorder, and addictions in adults.

Introduction

Meet Our Management Team

Jonathan Holt

Director of Marketing

Jonathan Holt is the Director of Marketing at NorthStar Regional. His experience includes over 30 years of marketing, communications, and operations experience in both traditional and digital marketing. He was previously the Director of Marketing at ESCO, before that he oversaw international marketing operations at Starkey Hearing Technologies. Jonathan holds a degree in Advertising from Collins College in Tempe, Arizona.

headshot of Yvonne Gennrich

Yvonne Gennrich

Finance Manager 

Yvonne brings a wide range of experience to her position at NorthStar Regional. She previously served as the Finance Manager at Northland Counseling Services, where she was instrumental in the merging of operations between that organization and NorthStar Regional. She was the Controller at Cook County North Shore Hospital & Care Center in Grand Marais, MN, for 15 years, where she was responsible for all financial operations.

Jamie Cox | MSW, LICSW

Director of Clinical Services

Jamie Cox is a Licensed Independent Clinical Social Worker who earned his master’s degree from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. With 18 years of experience and lifelong-learner approach, Jamie’s client focused skills and expertise are essential in driving NorthStar Regional’s overall Philosophy of Care. Supporting our teams through development and mentorship, ensuring our team members are armed with the skills and development resources they need to provide impactful treatment to the communities we support. 

Jamie has a passion for building and implementing programs that include trauma focused treatment, is a proven clinical supervisor, and has played a critical role in the development of our internship program during his tenure with NSR. Jamie supports the integration of Mental Health and Substance Use Disorder treatment throughout NSR’s Continuum of Care, building on our cohesive and collaborative environment. His support of our team of providers brings elevated focus and awareness to areas such as burnout prevention, secondary traumatic stress, and teaching the foundations of a healthy work-life balance.

Lea Atkinson | MA, LADC, LPCC

Managing Director, Currently Otsego Program Director

Lea Atkinson is NorthStar Regional’s Managing Director. As a Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor (LPCC) and a Licensed Alcohol and Drug Counselor (LADC), Lea has numerous years of experience working in diverse environments and has been involved in both mental health and co-occurring programs.

Throughout her career, she has kept client-centered care as her focus and leads with compassion and empathy. Lea is a graduate of St. Mary’s University in Minneapolis.

Jessica Hart | LADC

Women’s Residential Program Director

Jessica Hart is the director of NorthStar Regional’s Women’s Residential Treatment Center in Chaska, MN. A Summa Cum Laude graduate of Argosy University, she began working in the recovery field as a technician with Pride Institute in 2014, and has also served at The Haven in Shakopee, MN, at NSR’s Chanhassen Co-occurring Disorder program and at our Sugar Creek campus. She believes in fostering a supportive environment to help clients feel safe in order to build a good therapeutic alliance.

John McGinnis

John McGinnis | LADC

Sugar Creek Campus Program Director

John McGinnis, the director at NSR’s Sugar Creek campus in Chaska, has been working in the chemical dependency field for 25 years. His treatment experience includes work with adults and adolescents at Fountain Centers, Addiction Recovery Technologies, and Village Ranch. John was previously admissions director for Five Stars Recovery Center and for NorthStar Regional.

Madilyn Myers | MA, LPC, LADC

Maple Grove Program Director

Madilyn Myers is NorthStar Regional’s Program Director for our Maple Grove location. As a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) and a Licensed Alcohol and Drug Counselor (LADC),  Madilyn has experience working with clients to build their insight on mental health and its impact on their addiction. 

Throughout her career, she has kept client-centered care as a focus, working with clients to identify their strengths, increase resilience, and motivate clients to overcome their roadblocks in life. Madilyn is a graduate from the University of South Dakota with an undergraduate degree in psychology and communications, and a masters degree in clinical mental health counseling. 

Rich Smith, LADC

Rich Smith | LADC

Men’s Residential Program Director

Rich Smith is the Program Director at NorthStar Regionals MI/CD Men’s Residential Treatment Center in Shakopee, MN. Rich has worked with Five Stars Recovery and, now NorthStar Regional for the last five years. Starting as an ADC-T Counselor with the evening IOP programs, Rich has continued to grow with the organization. He has developed throughout this organization to become the recent Program Director for the Men’s Residential Program in Shakopee. Rich is excited to be a part of this organization and is dedicated to NSR’s mission, vision, and core values. He is focused on staff development and improving the quality of care for all clients.